New York State became the first state in the nation on Tuesday to ban natural gas and other fossil fuels in new buildings, mandating a shift to renewable energy and electricity as the state’s power grid runs short of capacity.
The Washington Post reported:
New York has become the first state in the nation to pass a law banning natural gas and other fossil fuels in most new buildings, a move that could inspire other states and further erode the residential future of the gas industry.
…
The law effectively requires all-electric heating and cooking in new buildings shorter than seven stories by 2026, and in 2029 for taller buildings. And although it allows exemptions for manufacturing facilities, restaurants, hospitals and even carwashes, the measure does not do what some climate activists had feared: give cities and counties license to override the ban.
…The ban also extends to heating oil and propane, raising questions about the future of these fuels in New York state’s more rural communities.
Natural gas currently accounts for 46% of New York’s power supply, the Post notes. The state also infamously banned hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” which has fueled an oil and gas boom in neighboring Pennsylvania.
ALBANY, NY – JANUARY 08: Anti-fracking protesters gather outside of the auditorium before New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo gives his fourth State of the State address on January 8, 2014 in Albany, New York. Fracking for natural gas has become a contentious issue in New York State and the governor has yet to decide on whether to allow the practice or to ban it. Cuomo’s speech is expected to focus on the state’s economic recovery as well as a proposal for limited legalization of medical marijuana. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
Under Democratic Party control, the state is pushing toward renewable energy targets, but lacks the sunshine of California, and has to look offshore to expand wind power — an approach that has its own environmental risks.
New York consumers are already suffering higher prices, partly due to the lack of capacity on the electricity grid — and experts say renewable energy projects are not enough to replace fossil fuels that are being taken offline.
There are also legal problems facing a gas ban. Last month, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit tossed a ban by Berkeley, California, saying that federal energy authority preempts state and local authorities.
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of the new biography, Rhoda: ‘Comrade Kadalie, You Are Out of Order’. He is also the author of the recent e-book, Neither Free nor Fair: The 2020 U.S. Presidential Election. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.